We love our pets, but pet hair can be a mess, which Roomba is best at cleaning pet hair. Let’s go ahead and find out now.
Overview
First, let’s go over our top picks.
Best overall: Roomba I7+ and Roomba S9+
The Roomba S9+ is an excellent option for overall performance with great cleaning test results and advanced features like self-emptying, dustbin, digital mapping and tangle free rubberized brushed rolls. The I7+ offers similar features and performance with slightly lower specs but also several hundred dollars less expensive.
Best value: Roomba E5
The Roomba E5 is a much lower price but super performs just as well on cleaning test. Its missing some of the convenience features of the I7+ and S9+ includes digital mapping and self-emptying dustbin. That is said, it’s still a solid navigator and good performer overall.
Best budget: Roomba 675
If we are looking for a great robot vacuum at a more affordable price, the Roomba 675 is an excellent choice. It has fewer bells and whistles. However, it performed well in our cleaning tests and great for smaller homes and less complex layouts.
Features
When considering proficiency and pet hair clean up, there are three major features to focus on: the brush roll, the filtration system and the zone navigation.
Brush roll
There are several types of brush rolls in Roomba models.
The bristle brush rolls are more basic and more prone to tangles, but robots with this brush roll are value priced like the Roomba 675.
The dual rubberized brush rolls are more advanced and are designed to prevent tangles. These are found on newer Roomba models like the E5, S9+ and I7+.
Filtration systems
The filtration systems on a Roomba, the AeroVac filter or the arrow force filter. Aerovac is the older model with average quality, Roombas with this filter have a smaller dustbin like the Roomba 675. The air force filter is more advanced and it’s smaller leaving room for more dustbin capacity. It’s found in the E5, S9+ and I7+.
Zone navigation
Virtual wall barriers
As for zone cleaning, all recent Roomba models are compatible with the virtual wall barriers. However, most Roomba packages no longer include a virtual wall even so you are able to use older virtual walls or buy a new standalone wall that can be used to block sensitive areas like pet beds, speeding dishes and furniture.
Keep-out zones
The more advanced Roomba S9+ and I7+ use an app based system called keep-out zones. The onboard camera allows the robot to scan the rooms of your home. On the app you can select areas for the robot to stay away from. This is obviously a huge step up in the convenience of these vacuums.
Of the Roomba we are highlighting, the I7+ and S9+ have the keep-out zone technology while the E5 and 675 do not, although are able to connect to the Irobot home app to control cleaning.
Cleaning performance
We test each robot on four different debris types and three different floor types.
Debris types: Pet hair
Roomba 675 and E5
On low carpet, the Roomba 675 and E5 were both able to pick up the pet hair fairly well after two to three passes. However, on both the sporadic navigation meant it took a while for the robot to make the spots with the hair.
Roomba S9+ and I7+
The S9+ and I7+ did a good job with pet hair helped by the advanced navigation. Both of these robots were able to detect where the pet hair was on the carpet and focus on that area for a more efficient cleanup. The rubber brush rolls tended to retain more of the pet hair than the bristle rope and each robot ended up with some head hair stuck to the bottom and various places. During our task, we did not see any tangling in any of the models we tested, nor did we see a building up of hair that could have resulted in a tangle in the future.
Obviously, pet hair cleaning results vary greatly depending on floor type, hair, texture, and amount. During our tests, we found all of these models to be excellent at dealing with moving pet hair.
Product highlights
Let’s dive into a few more of the highlights for each of these Roombas to help differentiate between them.
Roomba S9+ and I7+
Similarity
Both the S9+ and I7+ offer several conveniences related features.
- The self-emptying dustbin allows the robot to empty itself as it cleans.
- The recharge and resume feature allows it to return to its base and recharges battery before picking up where it left off.
- Both of these Roomba use the imprint link which allows them to be paired with other Irobot products like the Braava Jet m6, so the two devices can work together and continue cleaning without the user needing to get involved.
Difference
- The major differences between the S9+ and I7+ are the D-shaped body of the S9+ allowing it to reach edges and corners more efficiently and the higher suction power on the S9+.
Roomba E5 and 675
Similarity
- The Roomba E5 and 675 do not include a self-emptying dustbin, digital mapping, recharge and resume or the imprint link.
- They can be used with the Irobot home app to start and stop cleaning, set schedules and both are compatible with virtual walls.
Difference
- The 675 features the previously mentioned bristle style brush roll, the less effective AeroVac filter and lower power suction.
- This makes the E5 a good middle of the road option with better cleaning, better filters and better brush rolls when compared to the 675. However, it is lacking some of the features from the ultra high end room of models.
Summary
Which firm is best for our home and our pets?
If we looking for top of the line features and advanced navigation along with a self–emptying dustbin and keep out zones, go with the Roomba S9+ or I7+. They are objectively the most advanced Roombas available out here at a higher price point.
If we want comparable cleaning performance at a lower price and don’t need the high tech convenience features, go with the Roomba E5. It’s missing the linking zones and self-emptying. However, it can still clean as effectively as the more expensive models under most situations.
If we want a basic but proficient robot vacuum that keeps the price low by giving what’s only necessary, go with the Roomba 675. It’s not fancy or as technologically advanced, but it gets the job done at an affordable price.
